Dad's War Photos: Adventures in the South Pacific - Paperback - 6 Copies

Dad's War Photos: Adventures in the South Pacific

Curtis Bertrand, a country boy with a camera, returned home from WWII in the South Pacific with over 600 photos.

These never-before-seen pictures from his private stash, along with official battalion journal entries and near-death experiences add drama, adventure, and expose the reality of war.

Readers of DAD'S WAR PHOTOS will follow his photographic "breadcrumb trail" from home to war and back again with the help of 420 photos and 21 maps.

Dozens of WWII aircraft with nose art, and photos of South Pacific natives in daily life are included.

The book covers many aspects of Curtis's experiences in the war: leaving the farm in Opelousas, Louisiana, going to boot camp, being sent overseas and eventually coming back home, all through the photos he took and his battalion's military records.

Readers will feel the excitement and fear of sailing through enemy waters, they will come to know the loving bond of brotherhood and friendship amongst soldiers, and they will encounter the grief and mourning when a buddy dies while on a mission.

Through Curtis's eyes and camera lens, readers will be virtual eyewitness to the New Guinea battle campaigns in Dobodura and Saidor; the battle for Biak Island and capture of Mokmer Airdrome; the Philippine Islands campaign, and the Battle of Manila and its reconstruction.

Thus far, the World War II photo memories and story of Curtis Bertrand have remained private. Now these pictures, along with official battalion diary entries, are being made available to the public, bringing to life his battalion's camaraderie and their heartbreaking and harrowing experiences.

The 863rd Engineer Aviation Battalion was stationed in three Australian cities during the summer of 1943: Sidney, Brisbane, and Townsville.

Brisbane became the Pacific headquarters of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander, after the Japanese forced him out of the Philippines in December 1941.

Each stop was necessary for the complex task of getting the numerous battalions organized, fully equipped, and putting the finishing touches on the engineering and battle planning strategy.

After that, it was on to the New Guinea Campaign, including Dobodura and Saidor. New Guinea was key in defeating the Japanese bases as laid down by General MacArthur's strategy called Operation Cartwheel. There are 81 photos depicting men building airstrips, camp life, native scenery, and more.

In a chapter on the Battle of Biak, the near death experiences of Curtis and his war buddies as their boat approached the island are graphically displayed. A photo taken of Curtis's good friend Clifford G. Wynne, Jr. is included, just weeks before he died on Biak. Another 60 historical images are contained within this section.

Finally, on December 21, 1944, the battalion arrived in the Philippines. 80 photos cover the destruction of the Battle of Manila and its reconstruction. Curtis's medals and souvenirs are depicted, along with the Japanese rifle and bayonet he brought home with him.

The homecoming and post war life chapters give an intimate view of what many returning soldiers faced.

For Curtis it was getting back to work on the farm, meeting his lovely wife, and trying to put bad memories aside.

Two appendices include photo coverage of WWII aircraft nose art and South Pacific natives.

PRAISE FOR "DAD'S WAR PHOTOS":

"I've never seen a book that covers so much of the war in a pictorial form. It presents a month-by-month account of what it was like to serve in an engineering battalion in support of the fighting troops in the South Pacific."

-Hughes Glantzberg, President of the 461st BombardmentGroup (H) Association

"Dad's War Photos" combines my favorite things: history and photography. Soldiers were building/rebuilding bridges, roads, theaters, and hospitals. The 'Military Record' entries and 'Elsewhere in the War' sections added more to the story. Reading what was recorded, then seeing it confirmed in the pictures made the history buff in me jump for joy. There are surprising pictures such as the coal-burning car. If you like history, planes, or just WWII, don't miss out on this. These pictures are a rare piece of history!

~ Angel Estep, Blogger and WWII History Buff, Rainy Day Reads

Author and Publisher, Neal Bertrand brings the battles and the people to life in his book. He uses Official Military Records and his father's photographs to tell the story of World War II in the South Pacific. Descriptions of the battles and numerous photographs of planes and natives, involve the reader in the war. A monthly column titled "Elsewhere In The War" describes locations of battles throughout the world, and gives the reader a chance to experience the immense size, destruction and loss of life.

Connie Gremillion, whose father was a Major in the South Pacific

Lafayette, LA

Author of A House for Eliza and Never Say Goodbye

"I am sure the book will bring back many memories for those veterans who are still with us, but perhaps more importantly it will allow the younger generations,especially those whose forefathers served in the Pacific, to see and understand more about the war that encompassed the world."

-Ray Bowden, usaaf-noseart.co.uk; Dorset, England

"This is a fascinating first person view of an enlisted man's perspective. You witness his part of the war through his eyes and camera lens. This is a part ofthe war few have documented so thoroughly from such a unique perspective."

-Fred Leger, a life-long student of WWII history; Baton Rouge, LA

"I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Neal has done a great job of organizing the book so any reader can get a real taste of where his dad went and what he saw. I especially enjoyed the World War II nose art photos."

-Sheila Fredrickson, Fort Worth, TX

I enjoyed reading the book. The photographs interspersed with notes from the official

history help to describe the story of your father's unit.

Peter Dunn

Brisbane, Australia - Webmaster, "Australia @ War"

ozatwar.com

Many war veterans do not talk about their war experiences. Curtis Bertrand did just the opposite. Bertrand's war story recounts his journey from Mallet, Louisiana, to the exotic South Pacific in images of life that he saw as part of the 863rd Engineering Aviation Battalion from 1943 to 1945. Bertrand's story is still being told, but this time it is told in a pictorial history book compiled by his son.

The photographs, documented by his unit's Official Military Record, provide a compelling story of a young man seeing strange people, exotic lands, death, weapons of war, and the camaraderie of American soldiers. The photographs of New Guinea natives evoke images in National Geographic; pictures of Bilibid POW camp and natives plowing rice in the Philippine Islands are reminiscent of Life magazine.

This book is a testimony to a soldier who will not be forgotten, for his wartime pictures are remembered in this book.

Alma Brunson Reed

Eunice, LA

Author of Images of America: Eunice

This is not just a book containing unique, never seen before photos, it's much more than that. It is a journey of a generation as seen through the eyes of a young American during the Pacific War. They say a picture speaks a thousand words, and in this book it does more than that. Become immersed in the journey as you travel through time, seeing glimpses of what it must have been like to be a raw recruit thrown into remote jungles of New Guinea. Witness from a photographer's eye the living conditions, the humor, and tragedy of war.

See photos of Manila and the devastation caused by its liberation from Japanese forces and you can understand why we all owe so much to that generation.

This is a story passed from father to son and well worth the read.

Capt. Matthew Laird Acred, ATPL Pilot & Aviation Historian

Manila, Philippines and Brisbane, Australia - asisbiz.com

I don't know that your father's intent was to be a photojournalist but, in essence, his photos, remembrances, etc. has made him that, a photojournalist. You've done him proud with this book, him and all of the other 'grunts' who saw and experienced WWII from the trenches and airfields of that horrible war. Well done, my friend.

Al Orgeron

Airplane Aficionado and WWII Airplane 'Buff'

Opelousas, LA and Marysville, MO

I keep getting distracted while trying to write something about this book because every page is a new discovery. Unearthing the reality of a man's personal journey through the horror of war, side by side with the larger macro-cosmic view of Bertrand's "Elsewhere in the War" segments has the teacher in me excited over and over again. So many pictures of humanity and soul: a woman walking on a tightrope, taking a moment of respite from the chaos with bomb damage clearly viewed behind her. A photo of a group of men with the caption: After working non-stop for months cleaning up debris and rebuilding Manila, permission was given to start their own football team for recreation.

From a 50-kilogram bomb believed to be a dud, to 14-foot pythons, and the POW camp Old Bilibid Prison, from where 800 military and 500 American and Allied civilian prisoners were liberated...this book is filled with teachable moments; stories of horror and heroism; discussions; lessons...a pictorial treasure trove of ideas for introspection, analysis and consideration of the human condition.The presentation of facts and detail is direct and to the point. The personality in the voice of Bertrand's father gives breath and heartbeat to the journey. The lessons about human nature that can be extracted here are endless - from the tiny details that bring us to life, to mankind's world-defining orchestration of global conflict.

Like so many pilots who soared into the fire with their muses singing at their side - The Butcher's Daughter, Scarlet Night, Empty Saddle, Pop's Blue Ribbon - I am inspired to do bold things with this amazing piece of educational artillery. I want to bring this book to school tomorrow and use it all year long.

Matt Harman

Teacher, Principal

Lafayette, LA

From the Author

PRAISE FOR DAD'S WAR PHOTOS:

As a young boy, I often imagined what it was like for my dad to be in the South Pacific during World War II. I had so many questions. What did he do? Where did he go? What was it like being away from home for so long?

I grew up looking at his war pictures - there were hundreds of them. Some of them were shocking to me since I was so young. But whenever I asked my dad if I could look at his war pictures he willingly walked to the cedar chest in the hallway of our home and grabbed his three large photo albums. And as a devoted father, he always answered every question I had about them.

I loved my dad and we had great times together. But I also have some regrets in regards to the book I would eventually write, like not videotaping his war stories or removing those photos from the album pages they were attached to and reading the captions on the back. Ultimately, those helped me a great deal in producing this title.

I appreciate your reading my story, and I encourage you to buy this book for yourself and for your loved ones whose ancestors were in the war. I trust that it will further inform you about this fascinating piece of history.

Neal Bertrand, author and publisher

Cypress Cove Publishing

Lafayette, Louisiana, USA